![Kemi Badenoch gives a speech after becoming the new leader of the Conservative party after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest on November 2, 2024 in London, England. [Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/19112024/e010d862-6a65-41db-8b6f-c29739e5602e?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch has proposed a major overhaul of the UK’s immigration system, extending the wait time for British citizenship to 15 years.
In a video posted on her X account, Badenoch outlined plans to increase the period before migrants can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from five to ten years.
Additionally, successful ILR applicants would have to wait another five years before being eligible for citizenship.
“I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something.
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“If you want to stay in our country permanently, the time you have to live here before applying for ILR would increase from five to ten years.” she said.
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The proposal also includes strict new conditions:
Migrants who rely on welfare support or social housing will be ineligible for permanent settlement.
Individuals with a criminal record will be permanently barred from obtaining citizenship.
Anyone entering the UK illegally or overstaying their visa will never be allowed to apply for leave to remain or a passport.
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Currently, migrants can apply for ILR after five years and citizenship 12 months later. If implemented, Badenoch’s plan would extend the minimum period to 15 years—three times the existing requirement.
The Conservative Party intends to backdate the changes to 2021 through amendments to the upcoming Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Badenoch defended the tougher stance, calling the current system a “conveyor belt” to citizenship that burdens public services.
“We need to ensure that people coming here have a meaningful connection to the UK, are net contributors to the economy, and genuinely care about our communities,” she asserted.